Things to know when working with a professional photographer

Wedding photography is an immensely important part of your big day. Unfortunately, many people realise that only when the wedding is over and they end up dissatisfied with the photos. Whether they were taken by a well-meaning, but inexperienced amateur friend or the couple hasn’t invested enough time in researching professional photography options and hired the wrong person, the consequences are the same. And unfortunately, you can’t go back to fix it. You only get one shot.

Considering that these photos will be one of the only solid memories of your wedding day, investing your resources in finding the right professional photographer is well worth it.

“Resources” are not only funds; the time that you spend in gathering information, and then choosing and hiring a photographer that will match your personal preferences and style is crucial for producing a wedding photo album that will make you proud.

Here are some things to consider when working with a pro photographer.

Inform yourself before hiring

Take some time to get acquainted with the mere basics of wedding photography, so you’ll know what to discuss with the photographers. Knowing about basic wedding photography styles such as making a difference between documentary/reportage and fine art photography will make these conversations a lot easier. Some photographers such as Infokus provide high-quality versatile service, so your input can be crucial for the result at the end.

Knowledge is always empowering – and this goes for wedding planning as well. It might surprise you that even the very rudimentary understanding of photography will positively influence your wedding preparations. For example, if you are aware that lighting is very important for effect as well as for photo quality, you will be extra mindful when opting for the venue, the type of lighting and even the time of year when you wish to have your wedding. That makes the photographer’s job easier, and the final result is more satisfying for both parties.

Of course, you could go for the happy-go-lucky “I don’t want to know anything” approach, but keep in mind that this limits your expectations when it comes to the results.

Be realistic about your wishes

We are all impressed by beautiful wedding images we see via Pinterest and other social media every day. Undoubtedly, these will leave some impression on you and modify your expectations, even if it happens on a subliminal level. Many couples show photographers wedding photos they found online as an example of what they would like to replicate for themselves. That may be the wrong way to go about it, since it is likely that the real-life circumstances at your wedding will differ greatly from your online examples.

The greatest sign about what you can expect from your photographer is their portfolio and a sample wedding album – the material you will explore in detail before you close the deal. Don’t be shy to ask the photographer about all the aspects of their approach and try to explain your expectations. If you’re compatible and you like the sample work, try not make too many demands, let your photographer incorporate the style and the craft you hired them for and be confident the job will be well done. Too many demands could overwhelm your artist, which could lead to a dissatisfying result. On the other hand, do provide all the information that the photographer will ask you to present.

Please cooperate

Wedding parties can get hectic. While you’re trying to enjoy one of the biggest days of your life, you also worry if everything is running smoothly, and it seems like everyone would like a piece of your time. On top of it, here comes the photographer, who would like to take another minute of your precious time and would like you and your now-spouse to step outside. A thought that could pop up at that moment could be “What a drag!”.

However, the photographer is not doing this because they’re getting kicks out of bothering you. The photographer is doing it for your sake. They probably saw the perfect low, warm sunset light on the balcony and would like to capture the couple in all that glorious romantic beauty. So trust them and do what they ask you to do. Wedding photographers are already trained to be as subtle as possible, so be sure they are actually sparing you all the unnecessary commotion.

Post-production details and delivery time

When all the excitement from your big day subdues, you will probably get very anxious about when your photos will arrive. But, if you want those precious memories to be just perfect, you will have to be patient. Professional photographers usually work with a high-quality, high-resolution and very post-production-friendly image format called RAW. Like any “raw” material, it takes some time, effort and processing power to refine them into something worth your investment, and especially if it comes in large quantities like wedding photos naturally do. So keep in mind that the post-processing of your batch might take as long as 6-8 weeks. Talk about this with your chosen photographer before the big day itself, so you know what to expect. Also, ask about their insurance and refund policy in case something goes wrong.

If not before, rest assured that when you get to look at the fresh batch of professional photos from your wedding, you will realise that all the effort was worth it!